Just how strong
by Vileploom
Summary: How strong do you have to be to give up everything, for nothing?


Author's note

To whoever wrote the story "A Brock Romance", it was my inspiration. This is just a pathetic little FanFic I wrote and I'm sorry if you think its plagerism (I have no idea how to spell that!), but it isn't. All characters (Other than Ash, Misty and Brock) are my copywrite unless I recieve an Email concerning a sequel or something. So read on and enjoy!

Just how strong?

Chapter 1

Hi, I'm Julie. I live in Celadon city. I train under Erika, the Celadon gym leader. Although Erika trains mostly grass-type pokemon, I train several different kinds. My strongest is Daisy, a Vileploom that dislikes being inside a pokeball. My other pokemon in this group are: Pikachu, Cloyster, Butterfree, and Ivysaur. 

"No, no, no! You have got to teach that Cloyster Spike Cannon!" Erika shouted at me. Right in the middle of a battle with a person going for a Rainbow badge. When Erika is busy, we sometimes do the gym battles. And boy, was I embarrassed. 

"Yes, Erika. I will train harder." I spat, "Actually, I was just going to take Cloyster to the pool! Bye!" I said as I raced off. 

Did I forget to tell you what I looked like? I'm tall, with long aqua-coloured hair in a spiky ponytail with two strands of hair running down both sides of my face. I have green eyes and dark, tanned skin. I have a slender body with long legs; Or so I'm told.

I arrived at the pool and let Cloyster in for a swim. I could tell it was glad. Suddenly...

"Hi-ya!" Shouted a Staryu.

"Prrreeee!" Answered a Starmie.

"Psy?"

"Goldeen, Goldeen, Goldeen-Goldeen!"

"Duck?" A party of water pokemon!

"I'm so sorry!" Said a voice behind me. I turned to see a girl my age with spiky orange hair up in a ponytail. In her arms was the egg pokemon, Togepi. "Starmie probably saw Cloyster, and came over to play." She sat down beside me.

"Hi, I'm Misty," She said.

"I'm Julie, pleased to meet you." She nodded just as two boys walked toward us.

"Hey, Misty, Who's this?" The short one asked.

"Hi, Ash. This is Julie, and this is her Cloyster."

"Hi, Julie! By the way will you go out for pizza with me later?" The tall, dark one said, leaning over my shoulder. *Sweatdrop on back of Julie's head* I made a fist with my hand and brought it up to hit him in the face, knocking him down. Misty put her hand behind her head.

"I'm sorry, Julie. This is Ash," She said, gesturing toward the short kid, "And this is Brock," She gestured toward the one that was once again leaning over my shoulder. 

"Uh, oh. Not de ja vu," Ash said. *Another Sweatdrop on back of Julie's head* BAM! THUD!

"I, I, think she likes me!" Stuttered Brock.

"The only way I would go out with anyone is if they'd beat me in battle. The idea of that is ridiculous." I said, hinting.

"Fine! Three-on-three, go Zubat!" Brock said. I laughed.

"You want a flying pokemon? Take a look at my Butterfree!" I said, throwing the pokeball. I was certain I would not lose.

"Butterfree, Psybeam." I said, calmly.

"Whadee-e-e-e-e-e!" Zubat was KO'd. No big deal.

"Ash, can I please use your Pikachu?" Brock pleaded with Ash. I tapped my foot impatiently.

"Fine, just take good care of it."

"Pikachu, go!" Brock shouted. 

"Pika-pi, Pikachu!"

"Go, Lightning!" I answered. My powerful Pikachu popped out, sparks leaping from its cheeks. It was Lightning against another electric pokemon. I realized that I should have chosen Daisy, instead.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" 

"Light screen!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt had no effect on Lightning when she had Light screen turned on.

"Lightning, use the Agility!" Lightning ran crazily around Pikachu, grinning broadly. Then she used Quick Attack and rammed into the opposing Pikachu, causing it to fly into Brock.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!"

"Lightning, Thundershock!" Me and Brock said in unison. The two bolts of electricity met and exploded, sending Lightning and Pikachu hurling into me and Brock. 

"Lightning, Come back." I said, reluctantly, "Daisy," I nodded at my Vileploom who was, at the moment, enthralled in a game with Togepi. She hopped into play.

"Vile! Plee-ume!" It said with it's heavy western accent.

"Pikachu, Electric Shock!" Brock shouted. The Pikachu was pooped. It fell over. Brock gritted his teeth.

"Now what..." He murmured. Then shouted, "Vulpix, Attack!" Now I was worried. But I still had the other three aces up my sleeve.

"Daisy," I cooed, "Get it. Stun Spore." I announced. The Vulpix was Paralyzed. 

"Now, finish it off with a Hi-Jump-Kick!" Daisy smacked the Vulpix right in the nose.

"Vulpix! Oh, no!" Brock said, then suddenly, "Wait!" He withdrew a fire stone from his backpack. I gasped. There was no way for me to beat Ninetails. Not with a Vileploom.

"Vulpix!" The little fox said, happily. "Nine!" It said, seconds later.

"Brock! Does this battle really mean that much to you?" Misty asked Brock.

"I discussed its evolving with Vulpix last night, I just forgot to give it the stone earlier." Brock explained. I gritted my teeth.

"Give it the Solarbeam, Daisy!" I could see energy welling up in the spores atop Daisy's head.

"Ninetails, Fire Spin!"

"No!" Then it was all over. I returned Daisy to her pokeball and fell to my knees. Now I would go on my first date for a year. First date since Jake...

"There is a dance on Friday night," I suggested, involuntarily.

"Great. You and Brock go together, me and Misty go together. It'll be fun." Ash said. Misty looked at him, alarmed.

"Yeah," She answered questioningly. Oh, how I regretted that night. Today was Wednesday. Two days till the dance.

Chapter 2

I went to the department store to buy a dress. I chose a long green one that matched my hair. It came with white gloves that reached past my elbows. They were lined with fir and studded with green glass. (Supposedly Emeralds) The top of the dress was low and sleeveless. The skirt of the dress had a slit up the side that stopped a foot below my waistline. The shoes were white and matched the gloves. Hi-heeled platform shoes (Studded with "Emeralds"). I bought a necklace with diamonds all around it, but with a large, real, emerald at the center of her chest. 

I had no idea why I was trying so hard to look nice. I had regretted the day of my next date since Jake... But I wouldn't think about that now. Now I was going to have some fun for the first time in a year. 

I didn't do much on Thursday. I just laid down by the pond and stirred my finger around in the icy, blue-green water. At about ten, mom came and asked me how I was feeling. I told her I was Okay. She said I hadn't been this happy since Jake. 

"I'm quite all right, mom," I had to repeat until she went away. But I wasn't. I wandered through the forest until I found my special clearing. Me and Jake's clearing, that is. 

I picked a tulip and twirled it in my hand, recalling the last time me and Jake met there.

__

"Julia, I have to go. I would stay with you, but you know the way things are. I promise I will visit you, in a month or so." He said.

"No," I pleaded, "Stay with me! I love you," He leaned over and kissed me.

"I love you, too, Julia. But I have to. If I don't..." I nodded my head.

"Do you promise to visit me in one month?"

"You have my word." We embraced each other and kissed again. I hung my head. "Goodbye, Julia. Goodbye,"

It was the last I saw of him. He had drowned in a river a week after our meeting in the clearing. They never recovered his body. 

I stayed in that clearing all afternoon. When dark came, I slept inside a hollow log that we used to sit on. Later that night, it rained. I didn't care. The water leaked through cracks in the wood. I didn't care. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Friday night came, and I was dressed up and waiting for Brock to pick me up. The car rolled in the driveway and I sat in the front seat beside Brock. Ash and Misty were in the back. 

During the ride, I studied Brock. He was handsome. I liked the way his hair was spiky, it looked wild and untamed. His skin was darker than mine, but not too dark. He was wearing a tuxedo. It made him look mature and wise. I sighed. I had mixed feelings about Brock. I didn't know his personality very well, I just knew that he liked girls. He looked Okay, but that made no difference.

Oh, my gosh! Was I? Could I be? Is it... Love? No, I told myself, just a little crush. It will go away, soon. Or will it? Was I destined to cheat on Jake? Was I so naive to forget all about my boyfriend and to take the first good-looking guy that came by? No, I waited a year. A year of grieving. It was time to get over Jake. But why? Why did that freaking idiot have to leave me in the first place? 

I was so confused. Tears welled up in my eyes. Then I cried. I cried like I had never cried before. Brock stared at me, open mouthed. 

"I'm not that bad, really! Do you want me to take you back?" He asked, bewildered. I blew my nose on a tissue and shook my head. He stopped, anyway.

"Are you all right, Julia?" He asked, gently stroking my hair. I looked at him sternly.

"Don't call me Julia. Don't anyone _ever _call me Julia. Do you understand me? Never!" I commanded.

"Why'd we stop?!" Demanded Misty. Brock slammed on the acceleration pedal and we were at the community center shortly. We hopped out. Misty and Ash, hand-in-hand. My arm was tucked under Brock's. We walked into the bustling crowd of activity. A fast song was playing, and most of the people were dancing. Ash and Misty joined them. Me and Brock went to the refreshment table. There were a group of guys there, talking. We had some punch then joined the dancing. A slow song started. It was "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden. ~*I'm a big fan --Vileploom*~ Brock slid his hands around my waist, mine around his neck. I peered over at Ash and Misty, they looked so awkward dancing together. So... so... so darn short. Then behind them, I saw a man. He looked like everyone one else in the crowd, but something was different about him. Something stood out. He caught my eye and walked over to where we were dancing. I shut my eyes tight, and tried to shut out everything but my swaying and the loud drone of the music. 

He asked Brock, "May I cut in?" Then shoved him aside. I finally looked up at his smiling face and twinkling eyes.

"Jake? Oh Jake..."


End file.
